1 Chronicles 5 · a question people ask
Why did Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh live in Gilead and Bashan?
The chapter gives a reason for how far Bela's family spread: "because their livestock were multiplied in the land of Gilead" (5:9). That is how the story began. "Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock. They saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead. Behold, the place was a place for livestock" (Numbers 32:1), and they asked Moses, "let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Don’t bring us over the Jordan" (Numbers 32:5). Moses gave it "to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph" (Numbers 32:33), and after the land was taken they went home "to go to the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession" (Joshua 22:9). Gilead and Bashan run through this chapter (5:9-11, 5:16, 5:23).
The verses
“and Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who lived in Aroer, even to Nebo and Baal Meon; and he lived eastward even to the entrance of the wilderness from the river Euphrates, because their livestock were multiplied in the land of Gilead. In the days of Saul, they made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand; and they lived in their tents throughout all the land east of Gilead. The sons of Gad lived beside them in the land of Bashan to Salecah:”
“They lived in Gilead in Bashan and in its towns, and in all the pasture lands of Sharon as far as their borders.”
“The children of the half-tribe of Manasseh lived in the land. They increased from Bashan to Baal Hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon.”
“Moses gave to them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan; the land, according to its cities and borders, even the cities of the surrounding land.”